From passive protection to active regulation: researchers chart the future of zinc-ion batteries with atomic layer deposition

As the global demand for sustainable, large-scale energy storage escalates, zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have emerged as a highly promising "post-lithium" alternative due to their intrinsic safety, environmental benignity, and high theoretical capacity. However, the commercial deployment of ZIBs is currently bottlenecked by severe interfacial instabilities, including the uncontrolled growth of needle-like zinc dendrites, parasitic side reactions (such as corrosion and hydrogen evolution), and the dissolution of cathode materials.

A new, comprehensive review article published in the journal ENGINEERING Energy by researchers from the Institute of New Energy Materials and Engineering at Fuzhou University provides a critical analysis of how Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is poised to overcome these exact challenges.

ALD is a highly advanced vapor-phase deposition technique renowned for its sub-nanometer precision and unparalleled conformality, allowing for the layer-by-layer growth of atomic films on complex battery components. The review systematically details a monumental paradigm shift in ALD application for batteries: the field is moving away from the simple use of passive physical barriers and toward multifunctional coatings capable of actively regulating interfacial chemistry.

Key Highlights and Research Perspectives:

• Atomic-Scale Interface Engineering: ALD enables the creation of uniform, pinhole-free protective layers that physically isolate the reactive zinc metal anode from aqueous electrolytes. This highly conformal shielding severely suppresses parasitic corrosion and hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) while mechanically blocking dendrite penetration.
• The Paradigm Shift to Active Regulation: The review highlights a critical transition from chemically inert "passive" barriers (like Al₂O₃ and TiO₂) to active, zincophilic interphases (like ZnO, SnO₂, and Fe₂O₃). These advanced coatings lower nucleation overpotentials and actively induce preferred zinc deposition along specific crystallographic orientations, such as the Zn (002) basal plane, to fundamentally eliminate dendrite formation at the source.
• Cathode Stabilization: Beyond the anode, ALD acts as a protective exoskeleton for vulnerable high-capacity cathode materials, such as vanadium- and manganese-based oxides. ALD coatings actively suppress the dissolution of active species and prevent structural collapse. Furthermore, engineered heterostructures (like MnO@ZnO) generate built-in electric fields to significantly accelerate charge transfer kinetics.
• Functionalizing Separators: The application of ALD extends to battery separators, where metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, such as ZIF-8) can act as highly sophisticated molecular sieves. This structural regulation promotes selective and uniform Zn²⁺ ion transport while blocking bulky reactive species and free water, significantly extending battery longevity.
• Overcoming Scalability Hurdles: The authors present critical perspectives on moving ALD from lab-scale perfection to industrial viability. To resolve the "cost-scalability trade-off," the review suggests developing high-efficiency processes like Spatial ALD (S-ALD) and Roll-to-Roll (R2R) ALD, alongside hybrid ALD/Molecular Layer Deposition (MLD) coatings to improve mechanical flexibility.

By elucidating the complex structure-property relationships at the atomic scale, the Fuzhou University team provides a rational framework to bridge the gap between microscopic structural engineering and macroscopic battery performance. This research lays the fundamental groundwork for designing durable, high-performance aqueous energy storage systems tailored for the next generation of grid-scale applications.

Journal: ENGINEERING Energy 

Read the full article for free: https://rdcu.be/frN5y

Cite this article: Huang, K., Zhang, S., Liu, Z. et al. Atomic layer deposition for advanced zinc-ion batteries. ENGINEERING Energy 20, 10722 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-026-1072-2